The clarification of the government's position, after it opted to appeal against a ruling by the information commissioner that the papers should be released to the BBC under Freedom of Information legislation, was welcomed by the Hillsborough Independent Panel (HIP), set up to examine the full circumstances surrounding the disaster in which 96 Liverpool supporters died at an FA Cup semi final. It is due to report next spring.

The cabinet papers are seen as potentially significant in revealing the approach taken by the Thatcher administration to the disaster. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "The government has confirmed its commitment to full transparency about the Hillsborough disaster through full public disclosure. All papers had previously been shared with the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

"The government is happy for all the papers to be released as soon as the panel so decides, in consultation with the families. We expect them to be shared with the Hillsborough families first and then to the wider public."

A spokesman for the panel, chaired by the bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, and set up by the Labour government in response to longstanding calls to uncover the full causes and consequences of the disaster, said: "The HIP welcomes the government's commitment to publish all relevant documents to the panel.

"The response to the petition shows the strength of public feeling about the Hillsborough disaster. The panel is accessing and researching hundreds of thousands of documents and other materials relating to the context, circumstances and aftermath of the disaster. It is the intention of the panel to publish all documents simultaneously."

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "We want full disclosure of all documents, with no redactions, for the families, for survivors, who we must not forget suffered greatly at Hillsborough, and for supporters. We are humbled that so many people are supporting us, and have signed the e-petition.

"But although we are cautious given our experience over 22 years, we do trust the panel and maintain that the papers be released to the panel first, so they can be put into context, and then shown to the families, before then being released to the wider public."

Once the e-petition reached more than 100,000 signatures, encouraged by a Twitter campaign by footballers and celebrities, the government was obliged to respond and forward it to the backbench business committee for consideration for parliamentary debate.